Europe

Dog Breeds from Europe

While it is believed the domestication of the dog did not occur in Europe, one could say that the creation of today’s modern dog did. Or at least, most of them. That isn’t to say that there are not older breeds in Europe, in fact many of them are “old” but they are not as old as the majority of the breeds in Asia. They are also the most common of the breeds, and the forerunners for most of the breeds in North America. Over 200 different breeds of dog come from Europe, and at least a third of those breeds are known by the dog loving public. A large amount of these breeds come from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, although the other European countries contribute many as well.

Many of the Europe breeds were originally used for hunting. From tracking to gundogs, the breeds are numerous. Hunting was and still is a large part of the culture and sport of this area, and their dogs match this. The Basset Hound, Poodle, and Golden Retriever are only a handful of the well known hunting breeds, along with the lesser known European hunters, Bavarian Mountain Hound, Grand Bleu de Gascogne, and Alpine Dachsbracke.

Another common use for dogs in Europe is general farm work as well as livestock guarding. It was up to the dog to defend (or at least alert their owners) property and animals against thieves and predators. The well known Border Collie is from the United Kingdom, as well as the Old English and Shetland Sheepdogs. The Catalan Sheepdog, Beauceron, and Komondor are other working breeds from Europe.

Europe is also full of companion breeds, including dogs like the Papillon, Pomeranian, Yorkshire Terrier, Bichon Frise, and Belgian Griffon.